Filing cabinet drawer



June 17, 1952 GALLAGHER 2,600,986

FILING CABINET DRAWER Filed June 2, 1947 2 SHEETS-'-SHEET l INVENTOR. Roqra/ 4 6:9 74vrr BY June 17, 1952 R, GALLAGHER 2,600,986

FILING CABINET DRAWER Filed June 2, 1947 2 SHEETS SHEET 2 INVENTOR EGAar/Z ATTORNEY Patented June 17, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,600,986 FILING CABINET DRAWER" Richard L: Gallagher, Erie, Pa. App-librarian Junez, 1947, Serial No. 751,921 4'Claims. (01. 312 27'3) This inventionrelates generally to drawers for fill-rig cabinets and it relates" more particularly to collapsible front panels for filing cabinet drawers.

Front panels for filing drawers have hereto fo'i' e been made in one piece thereby making it difficult for the filer to work ove'r't-he top of the front" panel,- especially when the drawer is rela'-' tively high above the ground. Furthermore it been difficult to get at files inthe front part of the file drawer, especially when the file drawer is filled with filing envelopes. Files have been difiicultto remove under these circumstances in that the upper part of the filing envelopes could not be moved laterally.

Itlis, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide a drawer for a filing cabinet having a front portion or panel in two' complementary parts; the upper part being movable in telescoping relation to the lower part wherein the upper part of the panel'is moved adistanceequal its height.

Another object of my invention istoprovide a drawer for a filing cabinet having a collapsible front panel which is simplein constructiomeconomical' in cost; economical in'manufacture and eflic-ient in operation.

Another object of my inventionis toprovide novel means for lowering. and'raising the upper parteofa-twopiece front panelfor a'filing cabinetdrawer. 7

Another object of my invention is" to provide novebball-bearingmeansand races for the movable part of afront-panel of" a filing--drawer 7 Another object of ;my invention-isto provide means for moving the movable part of a front panel of a filing drawer downwardly-in telescopic relationship with the lower stationary panelupon a "relatively. short distance of opening movement of the drawer.

Other objects ofmy' invention will" become :evident fromthe following detailed description, taken" in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a filing cabinet with parts broken away'forbetter illustration showing the upper drawerin an open position, and the lower drawer in aclosed position;

Fig. 2-is a side elevational view of another form of collapsible front panel for a filing drawerwith means for nesting the movable panelof the drawer-in the lower stationary panel thereof};-

Figi 3is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of another form of device for moving a movable panel of a front filing drawer panel upon the openingand closing of the drawer; Fig. 5 is a View taken' on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is' a fragmentary perspective view of the lower end of the guide channel shown in Fig. 4; Fig. '7 is a fragmentary. perspective viewof thestop lug in the guide channel mounted ona cross-plate;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the' file cabinet drawer embodying my novel invention in-an open position; and Fig; 9i'sa fragmentary view showing the slotted end-of the flat-spring member engageable'by a lug on the movable panel.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1- shows a filing drawer l having a lower stationary front panel 2" and an upper movable front panel 3complementary to the lower panel 2 to form a straight front panel on thefiling drawer I when in a closed position. The movable panel; 3 is connected to cam levers 4 pivotedat 5 which engage rollers 6' journalled on 'stubshafts '1 fixed in the sides of the'filing cabinet 8. The cam lever} has a cam surface 9 for raising the movable panel 3 to; a-position as shownin'Fig. 2. a a In operation, thG'caIn levers are ina position as'shown in-Fig; l in closed position with .the rollers 6 engaging-the raised portions l0 ofthe cam levers 4. As the drawer lis pulled outwardly, the rollers 6 move downwardly on the camming surfaces 9 thereby lowering movable panel 3 tothe open position shown in" Fig. 1 after about 6 to 8 inches movement of the drawerl to an open position. a I V V In Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown adrawer' lz car riecl by and movable in follower frame I3. of conventional design. Thefollower frame l 3 nor"- mally moves at one half the speed 'of the drawer |2 A stationary box like front panel [4 has ,a movable panel l5 telescopically disposed for movement therein. The movable panel I5ha's'1a depending" portion l6 which is struck" outwardly on each side thereof at IT to provide fortlieidisposition of ball members It between. the struck out portion I 1 and the'fron'tw'all |9"of thestationary panelfl l. A secondset ofball members 20; is disposed'be'tween the flanged portiorisl'l "of the inner wan": 2 of" the stationary panel l4 and the struck-out" portions 1 7 of depending portion l6 'o'f th'e movable pane s." camroller's 23"arie disposed" on' each side'of th'de'pending portion I6 of the movable panel l5 carried by flanged brackets 24 secured to the depending portion I6 of the panel l5 by welding or any other suitable means. Cam members 25 having rising portions sired extended position to provide a complete straight front panel for the drawer I2. As the drawer I2 is opened the roller members 23 on each side thereof move downwardly on the cam portion 26 of the cam members 25 thereby permitting the movable panel l5 to telescope in the stationary panel l4 in approximately the first 6 to 8 inches of travel of the drawer as shown in Fig. 2. r

In Figs. 4 to 9 inclusive, which is the preferred form of my invention, I have shown a movable panel 50 having an extension 10 connected by lug II to a comparatively heavy fiat spring-like member 5| which moves in a right-angled guide member 52. The guide member 52 is slotted at 53 so that a member 54 carried by the cross frame member 55 will move in the guide member 52 when the drawer is moved to a closed position to force the spring-like member 5! forwardly thereby pushing the movable panel member to an extended position upon the closing of the drawer. Lug H moves in slot 12 when the drawer is opened, the movable panel 50 will drop down by gravity or it may be pushed down when the member 54 moves rearwardly in the guide member 52. A drawer 15 is carried in a conventional cradle 16 which moves at a much less speed than the drawer 15, as shown in Figs. 4 and 8. The transverse member is connected to the cradle 16 by fastening members 11 on opposite sides thereof. The abutting member 54 carried by the cross frame member 55 moves in the guide member 52 and also supports the horizontal portion thereof, the vertical portion of the guide member 52 being secured by a slight spot weld or any 'other suitable fastening means to the stationary lower front panel 18 of the drawer 15, this being the lower panel in which the movable panel 50 telescopes. The spring member 5| has a downturned lip 19 which moves in the slotted portion 53 on the underside of the guide member 52. The bottom 90 of the drawer 15 is channeled in a conventional manner in order that a rod may extend longitudinally therethrough to hold the lower ends of file cards in a fixed position in the drawer. The cradle 15 moves on wheels 80 mounted on opposite sides thereof, the top side of the wheels 80 engaging a flange 81 on opposite sides of the drawer 15 in order that it moves relative to the cradle 16. Other wheels 82 carried by the cradle 16 engage the upper side of the flange 8| on the opposite sides of the drawer 15. The bottom of the drawer, the cradle, and the wheels are all conventional construction.

When the drawer 15 is opened as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, the drawer 15 usually moves at least twice as fast as the cradle 16 which carries the cross member 55 and the member 54 thereon which slides in the guide member 52. The member 54 moves rearwardly in the guide member 52 to free the spring member 5| so that the movable panel 50 falls downwardly by gravity 7 or it may be pushed down manually into the stationary panel 18 if desired.

It will be evident from the foregoing that I have provided and shown several different means for moving the top movable panel of a filing drawer to an open and closed position automatically upon the opening and closing of the drawer. Many other types of linkages, levers, cables and the like may be used for raising and lowering a movable front panel in telescoping relationship with a stationary panel forming the lower front panel of a file drawer without departing from my invention. Furthermore, linkages may be operated by rotation of the front handle to move the movable panel or it may be moved manually.

Various changes may be made in the specific embodiment of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a drawer for a filing cabinet, a collapsible front panel comprising a stationary lower portion and movable upper portion adapted to telescope in said lower portion, a comparatively fiat member connected to said movable portion and extending downwardly and at right angles to said movable portion, a follower frame for said drawer, and means on said follower frame for engaging said fiat member to move said movable panel upwardly upon the closing of said drawer.

2. In a drawer for a filing cabinet, as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fiat member moves in a guide member.

3. In a drawer for a filing cabinet, a collapsible front side therefor comprising a stationary lower 7 panel and a movable upper panel, the upper panel being movable downwardly to a position adjacent the lower panel, a fiexible member connected to said movable upper panel and extending downwardly and at substantially right angles to the path of movement of said movable panel, a guide member for said flexible member, a follower frame for said drawer, and means on said follower frame for engaging said flexible member to move said movable panel upwardly upon the closing of said drawer.

4. In a drawer for a filing cabinet, a collapsible front side therefor comprising a stationary lower panel and a movable upper panel, the upper panel being movable downwardly to a position adjacent the lower panel, a comparatively fiat flexible member attached to said upper movable panel and extending downwardly and at substantiall; right angles to the path of movement of said movable panel, a rectangular shaped guide member having the lower side thereof longitudinally slotted for slidably receiving said fiat flexible member, a follower frame for said drawer, and means on said follower frame extending through the slot in said guide member to move said movable upper panel upwardly upon the closing of said drawer.

RICHARD L. GALLAGHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 893,020 Senge July 14, 1908 2,006,288 Aagaard June 25, 1935 2,025,210 Kleeme Dec. 24, 1935 

